Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing

Hot Wheels Turbo Racing is a racing video game released for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation in 1999. It features 40 cars based on the Hot Wheels series of toys. It also features Kyle Petty's 1999 NASCAR stock car, as it was sponsored by Hot Wheels. The game features music from artists like Primus, Metallica, The Reverend Horton Heat and Mix Master Mike.

Gameplay[]

The focus of the game is racing one of a selection of vehicles through various themed race tracks. Secret tracks can be unlocked by winning races and new cars can be used by finding 'Mystery Car' bonuses hidden in each track. Six vehicles participate in each race.^[1][2] The game features a total of 40 playable vehicles.^[2][3] Stunts can be executed by holding the directional pad or analog stick in certain directions while in mid-air to add to the turbo meter for increased speed.

As seen in the hint screens, using the controller to perform various stunts from jumping-off points gains 'Turbos' which allow short bursts of speed. The car in use will take damage based on running into obstacles or other cars. Power-up icons found around the track give various performance enhancements.

Each car has its own measurements in 4 categories: Top Speed, Stunts, Durability, and Control. Top Speed, shown in red, determines the car's top speed, though for some vehicles it is incorrect. Splittin' Image II, for example, is 1 MPH faster than Street Rodder, but the Street Rodder is shown as being faster. Additionally, Sol-Air CX-4 is 10 MPH faster than Speed Blaster, but Speed Blaster is shown as being faster. The fastest cars in the game are the Rigor Motor, Power Pipes, Twin Mill, and Twin Mill II.

Stunts, shown in bright green, determines a car's maneuverability in the air. The higher the Stunts ability, the faster the car will spin, roll, or flip in the air, which allows for earning more turbos from various tricks. The Go Kart has the highest Stunts stat.

Durability, shown in blue, determines a car's resistance to hazards such as TNT crates, HazMat barrels, other cars, or collisions with walls or road forks. A car with high Durability will destroy a car with lower durability in a collision initiated by either. The most durable cars are the Gulch Stepper and Super Van.

Lastly, Control determines a car's handling. Cars with higher handling are better suited for the curves of each track. The best-handling car in the game is an 8-way tie between the Shadow Jet, Speed Blaster, Sol-Aire CX-4, Formula 5000, Go Kart, Hot Wheels 500, Twin Mill, and Twin Mill II. Unlike other stats, the color used for Control changes depending on how high or low it is. From lowest to highest, it is dark green, yellow, red, then pink.

Acceleration appears to also be different among each vehicle. Thunder Roller has notably lower acceleration than Jet Threat, for example.

Playable Vehicles[]

Model Name	Real World Counterpart (or closest)	Unlock Conditions
Bi-Sector	1999 Crashers	Win the Hot Wheels Cup
Cat-A-Pult	1998 First Editions	Unlocked at Start
Deora	1968 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Double Vision	1998 First Editions	Unlocked at Start
Dragster	1995 Race Team	Collect the Mystery Car in Snake River Mine
Evil Weevil	1971 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Formula 5000	Game version paint & tampos unlike any released version	Collect the Mystery Car in Snake River Mine
Go Kart	1998 First Editions	Win the Hot Wheels Cup
Gulch Stepper	Game version paint & tampos unlike any released version	Unlocked at Start
Hot Wheels 500	1995 Race Team	Collect the Mystery Car in R.M. Test Track
Hot Wheels Car	1998 Pro Racing: 1st Edition	Unlocked at Start
Jet Threat	1971 Hot Wheels	Collect the Mystery Car in Cold Fusion
Lakester	1998 First Editions	Collect the Mystery Car in Dawn Encounter
Mongoose	1973 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Power Pipes	1997 Phantom Racer	Unlocked at Start
Power Pistons	1996 Toy Fair	Unlocked at Start
Power Rocket	1995 Model Series	Collect the Mystery Car in R.M. Sludgeworks
Purple Passion	1990 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Rash 1	1999 Crashers	Unlocked at Start
Red Baron	1973 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Rigor Motor	1994 Hot Wheels	Collect the Mystery Car in R.M. Sludgeworks
Road Rocket	1996 First Editions	Win the Hot Wheels Cup
Rock Buster	Game version paint unlike any released version	Collect the Mystery Car in Road to Rustwell
Shadow Jet	2006 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Silhouette II	1993 Hot Wheels	Collect the Mystery Car in Dawn Encounter
Slideout	1998 First Editions	Collect the Mystery Car in Cold Fusion
Snake	1973 hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start
Sol-Aire CX-4	1995 Race Team	Collect the Mystery Car in Command Center
Speed Blaster	1995 Model Series	Unlocked at Start
Splittin' Image II	1998 Speed Demons 5-Pack	Unlocked at Start
Stagefright	1978 Flying Colors	Collect the Mystery Car in Road to Rustwell
Stealth	Game version paint & window are unlike any released version	Unlocked at Start
Street Rodder	1976 Flying Colors	Unlocked at Start
Strip Teaser	1971 Hot Wheels	Unlocked at Start (N64) Win the Hot Wheels Cup (PlayStation)
Super Van	1976 Flying Colors	Collect the Mystery Car in Helicrash
Sweet 16 II		Unlocked at Start
Thunder Roller	1998 Motorized X-V Racers	Collect the Mystery Car in Command Center
Tow Jam	1998 First Editions	Win the TwinMill Cup or enter the code: TWJM
Twin Mill	2008 Since '68: Collector Top 40 Set	Win the Secret Car Cup
Twin Mill II	1996 Hot Wheels	Win the Secret Car Cup
Way 2 Fast	1997 First Editions	Unlocked at Start
Twin Mill	A gold spectraflame version is shown in the game intro	None

Tracks[]

Track Name	In All Formats?	Unlock?	No. of Mystery Cars
Dawn Encounter	Yes	Available at start	2
Snake River Mine	Yes	Available at start	2
Road To Rustwell	Yes	Available at start	2
Cold Fusion	Yes	Available at start	2
Command Center	Yes	Available at start	2
Helicrash	Yes	Available at start	1
R.M. Sludgeworks	Yes	Complete the Hot Wheels Cup	2
R.M. Test Track	Yes	Complete the Hot Wheels Cup	1
Exhaust Pipes	No	Complete the Hot Wheels Cup	0
Serpent Sprint	No	Complete the Secret Car Cup	0
Volcano Blowout	No	Complete the Secret Car Cup	0

Power Ups[]

Spread throughout each race track are a number of useful power-ups that temporarily boost a vehicle's performance. Only 1 power-up can be used at a time.

Icon	Name		Description
	4X4		Allows a vehicle to drive through the slippery or muddy shortcuts without being slowed down. Vehicles will also be able to go through walls marked "4x4 only" and rail guards. Some vehicles, such as Deora, have built-in 4x4 and do not require the power-up.
	Cars Of Steel		Temporarily provides a vehicle with maximum durability. This is useful for ramming into other cars, which destroys them instantly.
	Gyro		Enhances a vehicle's ability to perform stunts.
	Rubber Car		Forces cars that bash into the player to harmlessly bounce off, which usually destroys them. Behaves similarly to "Cars of Steel" at a glance.
	Sticky Tires		Improves the grip of a vehicle's tires, maximizing its handling.
	Super Brakes		Significantly improves braking ability, allowing a car to stop on a dime.
	Super Handling		Increases the grip, downforce, engine power, and center of gravity of a vehicle resulting in greater handling capacity. It also maximizes the vehicle's top speed, which caps at 180. The vehicle's engine will rev higher.
	Turbo Boost		Collect to add more turbos to the Turbo Meter.

Links[]

PlayStation Sounds (downloadable)

Nintendo 64 Sounds (downloadable)

Trivia[]

Shadow Jet II was named Stealth
Strip Teaser was unlockable in PS1 Version instead of the N64.
Exhaust Pipe, Serpent Sprint & Volcano Blowout are exclusive to the PS1 Version
There are differences in the Nintendo 64 Version than in the PS1 Version.
- In the N64 Version, instead of 5SP/MXV, Way 2 Fast, Power Rocket, Thunder Roller and Shadow Jet have BW, Road Rocket has 3SP, and Speed Blaster has Green PC6.
- Go Kart has more details in the N64 Version than in the PS1 Version
- Super Van has a much lighter shade of gray
- Sol-Aire CX4 has additional Hot Wheels flame logos on the sides, which makes it even more similar to the Race Team version
- R.M. Sludgeworks has two additional breakable explosives before the Spinning Wall, both of which are not included in the PS1 Version

Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing

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